Derrick or crane



July 20 1926 1,592,828 A. G. GRAY nmmicx 0R CRANE Filed Dec. 51 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 20 1926.

A. G. GRAY DERRICK OR CRANE Filed Dec. 31 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 20, 1926.

A.G.GRAY

DERRICK OR CRANE Filed Dec. 31 92 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 July 20 1926. 1,592,828

A. G. -GRAY DERRICK OR CRANE Filed Dec. 31 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 gl w/t v 61M, 0, wa

July 20,1926. 1,592,828

A. G. GRAY nznarcx on CRANE Filed Dec. 31, 92 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 of the topping foot Patented July 20, 192 6.

UNITED STATES ARTHUR GERALD GRAY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

Application filed December 31, 1924, Serial No.

This invention relates to improvements in derricks or cranes, particularly to derricks or cranes for use on board ship, of the kind in which the goose-neck or the attachment lift to the mast is adapted. to be moved transversely with respect to the mast.

The present invention has for its object generally to improve the construction of such derricks.

In the accompanying drawings illustrative of the invention,

Figs. 1 and 2 are fragmentary. elevations at right angles to one another of a derrick embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is an athwartship view of a barge equipped with a derrick of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the table of the derrick in elevation Fig. 5 1s a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; v 4

Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of the arrangement of guy-rope rendering gear, and

Figs. 8 and 9 are, respectively, a fragmentary elevation and a diagrammatic plan view of the arrangement of derricks in a construc tion comprising four derricks associated with one mast.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, an eyeat the of the derrick is fitted by a pin to a goose-neck 83, which is revoluble in a carriage mounted on track wheels. Stops (not shown) may be provided to engage with a stop on the gooseneck and limit-the swing of the derrick to positions determined, or preferably the swing of the derrick may be arrested by stays (not shown) suitably placed on either side so that should the operator fail to release the brake rope an automatic check is provided.

Wheels 4 mounted on projecting bosses of the carriage 1, co-axial with the gooseneck, are fitted one above and one below the track wheels 5. The wheels 4 take the thrust of the derrick and are confined to straight-line motion by means of washer plates 54, 55, the plate 54 being fixed above the upper thrust wheel 4 and the plate 55 being fixed below the lower thrust wheel.

The carriage 1 is connected by means of a connecting rod 59 to a worm wheel 10 driven by a worm 11 and rotatably mounted on a pin 47 rigidly secured to an extension of the table.

Tracks 74 are provided on the table for the track and thrust wheels 4, 5, ensuring DERRICK on CRANE.

759,181, and in Great Britain January 1, 1924.

straight-line motion of the carriage, gooseneck and derrick foot.

The worm is driven from a bevel wheel 00 keyed to the engine shaft of the winch through a train including a bevel wheel y, a horizontal shaft 2, bevel gears 0 and d, a vertical shaft 39 and bevel gears 63. The train may, however, he modified as circumstances demand, e. g., a worm may be keyed to the winch engine shaft driving a worm wheel, in lieu of bevels.

The bevel pinion c, which is loose on the horizontal shaft 2, forms the non-sliding member of a clutch indicated at 6 (Fig. 1). The sliding member of the clutch e is caused to slide and engage by a fork f mounted on a spindle operable directly or indirectly by a foot-lever or hand lever (not shown). A spring disengages the clutch when pressure is taken off the lever. The clutch is, however, preferably of the coil spring type.

Brake sheaves 8, which may be situated under the base of the table, and are mounted for rotationon a fixed shaft 41; normally the rims of the sheaves 8 are contacted by a single brake block 7, which is urged towards the rims by helical springs 61 mounted on pins 48. The brake block is guided in a stationary yoke which is an integral part of the cage or castinggwhich carries the brake gear and the sheaves. The yoke carries the pins 48 and presents ahutments for springs 61, which bear on the brake block urging it towards the rimsof the sheaves.

A release pin 40, rigidly fixed in the brake block and penetrating the yoke, has threaded on its outer end a flanged nut 36, there being interposed between the flange of the nut and the yoke a thrust ball race 71. The nut is formed with a squared end 49, to which is fitted a lever 50 to which a rope or rod (not shown) maybe attached for effecting angular displacement of said lever 50.

The thread of the nut is of very quick or coarse pitch, so that the pressure of the compressed helical springs 61 will normally cause the nut to revolve until the concave surface of the block presses against the sheave rims, thus securing contact under normal conditions.

Manually efiected angular movement of the lever 50 by means of the rope or rod causes the pin 40 to advance in the flanged nut and thereby withdraw the brake block 7 from contact with the rims of the sheaves 8.

Each: sheave- 8} is; provided with. a small axle 8 to which is attached one end of a light rope 8 that of the winding of rope. other end ofiach of the said light ropes. (led over freely revolving guide pulleys 42 mountedon. fixed. spindles), is attached. to the eye of a bobweight.16',.which latter. is. freer-to.- rise. and falh inside. of. one. of. a, pair of. stanchi ons which, in. ad'ditionato support: ing; the. table. and derrick, provide. housings for; the. bobweight' 16,v The. function of. the bobweights. 1.6. is. to: rotate the. sheaves. 8 when the brake-t block: 7 is, released, taking, inthe slackguyand allowingthe. tight. one topay out,.keeping:bo.th. ropes just, taut, thus permitting the.v arrest. of: the. derrick whenthe. brake. block is allowed. to. resume contact with.the sheave rims,

Wihenx the. derrick: is, swung aroundand the carriage: is displaced. (carrying the. derrick. foot. with. it); towards its. midposition,

its respective guythe topping; 1ift,. being off fixed length,

causes. the: head of. the: derrick to. lift. and would. produce. undue. tension. in the guyropes (which. are wound. around. the. brake sheaves, the latter. being held fast. by the rim brake) unless: Ineanswere. providedito allow thesaid. guyeropes'ito. render) A. preferred and. simple. form- Of\1'BI1ClI ingv mechanism. inaccordtlnce; with. the pres.-

ent; invention, which? neeessitatesno; alteration. tothe derrick. head; is illustrated; in Figs. (Sand. 7..

The mechanism. hereinaften described. is in. duplicate a complete setv being fittedion each. side. ofthe. vesse The guy-rope leadblock. h. is attachedlby a pennant t0. -the.sheave:15,.which is mount-1- ed' to work. freely on. the fixed, spindle. H. A; .heiical spring 6.3; in, tension tends to, force the. stop on.the sheave-against aprojection-y'providedon the casting. 14.x Thelifting of the; derrick. head. already described, transmitted to:thegny.-rope,.overcomes the tension of the. spring, 63,. causing, a:. rotary movement. of the sheave .15 around. the spindle, in effect. paying out. the; pennant and gathering it. inwhen-the. derrick. falls, and so. resimring the. original} relative. positions of:vthe various members... This. rendering action .hassalso; the. effect ofjbringingup the derric smoothly and; of. damping. vibrations. Asiwill. be. clean from Fig, 2., the movement-x of; the. pennant. will. he. half the movement ofthe derrick headowinghto, the interposition. of theguy-rope. leadiblook h.

Inoperation, suppose. cargo is being discharged. from the ship overside. on..-thev starboard. sides and the. I hook is being lowered into the hold.

WVhile the hook is falling the. operator depresses the foot-lever causing engagement said rope being wound'around the relative axle int-hedirectiomcontraryto In the form shown in Fig. 4c the of-the clutch e. and displacement of the derrick foot to the port side. Then declutching iseii'ected by removal of the foot from the lever. A fresh load is secured to the hook and raised clear of the rail.

The operator pulls the release rope or rod operating. thelever 50, the brake block is withdrawn from contact with the sheave and the. derrick swings to starboard as required; whenthe release rope is slackened the brake bloclifunctions and the derrick is... arrested, the load is lowered. and; dis-- charged. The empty. hookis raised clear of the rail. the foot-lever is depressed actuating the clutch e, the. derrick foot moved to starboard and the slewinggear declutchedl The hook is now clear of the rail. hen the release rope is pulled the derrick swings to its mid-position overthehatch centre. Thenthe release ropeis slackened,.the derrick is arrested, the hook lowered into the hold and the cycle ofoperations repeated.

It will be noted that the. displacement of the carriage anticipates the swing of the derrick and is'always effected with the derrick in an unloaded condition.

To permit of operationwhen the ship has acquired a list, the topping lift attachment on the. mast is made in the form of a. nut 89' threaded on screw-threaded. shaft rotating in bearingsv fitted with bushes, this shaft being; revolved, say, by means-of an endless ropelyingon-the periphery of ahal yardwheel 9O keyed'to one end ofthe screwthreaded shaft.

The nut slides-in a slot'madein channels 9l.wliich form part of the structure. and take the. pulliof. the topping lift transmitted to the nut, sliding contactsbeing formed between the; nut and. the surface of the channel nearest the mast.

n1 operatiomwhen the ship is'listed; the nut, 89 is movedlal'ong the shaft in the required direction, until the eye of the same is perpendicularly over the centre of the gooseneck, when the carriage is in mid-position. N further movement is givento the nut while. the. same: angle is maintained by. the ship.

The gearing actuating, the worm wheel controlling, thecarriage may be so arranged that, the. horizontal shaft driven from the winch and 'the wormwheel. rotate at the same speedianchvdth. a suitable. clutch adapted to engage; inone position only, marks may be provided on the horizontal shaft which will affordto theoperator an indication of the position of the carriage without the need for tnrninground to note the. position.

In a, general" way, however, it isfound preferable to fit a pointer tothe carriage, which pointer travels on the front of. the table. The movement of the pointer may be reflected in a mirror, suitably placed'for the li li'ile the: hook is being raised:

operator or, if preferred, the movement of the pointer may be duplicated by means of the usual mechanism and placed in a spot convenient for observation.

I claim l. A derrick comprising a mast and a jib, a support for one end of said jib disposed adjacent the base of the mast, a support for the other end of said jib adjacent the upper end of said mast and means for imparting a translatory movement to one of said supports with respect to said mast, braking means for said jib, such braking means including guy ropes and sheaves, said sheaves mounted on a single shaft, said guy ropes extending from both sides of said jib around said sheaves, and a braking device engaging said sheaves, said braking device comprising a brake block spring means normally pressing said brake block on said sheaves and means including a nut formed with a thread of coarse screw-thread operable to release the brake but normally allowing the brake to be applied by said springs.

2. A derrick comprising a mast and a jib, a support for one end of said jib disposed adjacent the base of the mast, a support for the other end of said jib adjacent the upper end of the mast and means for imparting a translatory movement to one of said supports with respect to said mast, braking means for controlling said jib, said braking means including gup ropes and sheaves, said sheaves mounted on a single shaft, and

means for loading said sheaves, said guy ropes extending from both sides of said jib around said sheaves and a braking device engaging said sheaves, said braking device comprising a brake block, spring means normally pressing said brake block against said sheaves, and means including a nut formed with a thread of coarse screw-thread operable to release the brake but normally allowing the brake to be applied by said springs.

3. A derrick comprising a mast and a jib, a support for one end of said jib disposed adjacent the base of the mast, a support for the other end of said jib adjacent the upper end of said mast, and means for imparting a translatory movement to one of said supports with respect to said mast, braking means for said jib, such braking means including guy ropes and sheaves, said sheaves mounted on a single shaft, said guy ropes extending from both sides of said jib around said sheaves, a braking device engaging said sheaves, said braking device including a brake block, spring means normally pressing saidbrake block on said sheaves and means including a nut of coarse screwthread operable to release the brake and on release to allow the brake to be applied by said springs, and means permitting said guy ropes to render, substantially as described.

4. A derrick comprising a mast and a jib, a support for one end of said jib disposed ad-' jacent to the base of the mast, a support for the other end of said jib adjacent the upper end of said mast, and means for imparting a translatory movement to one of said supports with respect to said mast, braking means for controlling said jib, such braking means including guy ropes and sheaves, said sheaves mounted on a single shaft and formed with extensions, means tending to keep the ropes on said sheaves taut supported from said extensions, said guy ropes extending from both sides of said jib around said sheaves, and a braking device engaging said sheaves, said braking device including a brake block, spring means normally pressing said brake block on said sheaves'and means including a nut of coarse screw-thread operable to release the brake but normally allowing the brake to be applied by said springs, substantially as described.

5. A derrick comprising a mast and a jib, a support for one end of saidjib disposed adjacent the base of the mast, a support for the other end of said jib adjacent the upper end of said mast and means for imparting a translatory movement to one of said supports with respect to said mast, braking means for controlling said jib, said braking means including guy ropes and sheaves, said guy ropes extending from both sides of said jib around said sheaves and a brake engaging said sheaves, and means permitting said guy ropes to render, said means including spring-controlled sheaves and connections between said guy ropes and said springcontrolled sheaves, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ARTHUR GERALD GRAY. 

